WAFCON 2026: Ghana Hold Mali to Reach Quarter-Finals as Black Queens Finish Second in Group D

Ghana have secured their place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 TotalEnergies CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after battling to a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Mali in their decisive Group D clash on Thursday.

The Black Queens entered the final group match knowing that avoiding defeat would be enough to keep their knockout-stage hopes alive, and they held their nerve to earn the crucial point at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca.

The first half was a tightly contested affair, with both sides creating chances but struggling to find the breakthrough.

Just when it looked as though the teams would head into the interval level, Evelyn Badu broke the deadlock deep into first-half stoppage time. The midfielder finished confidently after being set up by Comfort Yeboah, giving Ghana a valuable lead before the break.

Mali responded immediately after the restart, with their persistence paying off in the 50th minute, when Kadidiatou Diabate found the equaliser to set up a tense finish.

The remainder of the contest saw Mali push forward in search of a winning goal, but Ghana defended resolutely and held on to claim the draw that secured their passage to the last eight.

The result, combined with Cape Verde's 1-1 draw against Cameroon in the other Group D fixture, confirmed the final standings.

Cameroon finished at the top of the group with seven points, while Ghana claimed second place with four points to qualify for the quarter-finals.